World Matchplay Darts records and statistics: Phil Taylor the dominant force

The World Matchplay Darts tournament started back in 1994 and has become one of the biggest events on Tour.

In this article, we look at some of the records and statistics around this tournament.

Most World Matchplay Darts titles

Phil Taylor (16)

Englishman Taylor is way out in front when it comes to the number of World Matchplay titles, with 16 victories in total.

‘The Power’ was dominant between the years of 1995 and 2014, winning 15 of his titles and claiming seven wins in a row from 2008 and 2014.

Taylor’s first Matchplay success came in 1995, when he defeated Dennis Priestley 16-11 in the final, while his last success came in 2017. On that occasion, it was Peter Wright who finished runner-up after a 18-8 victory for Taylor.

The man from Stoke is way out in front on the role of honour, with his closest challenger in terms of wins being Michael van Gerwen, who has just three World Matchplay titles to his name.

Most World Matchplay Darts Titles:

16 – Phil Taylor (1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017)
3 – Michael Van Gerwen (2015, 2016, 2022)
2 - Rod Harrington (1998, 1999)

Most World Matchplay Darts appearances

Phil Taylor (24)

It won’t be a surprise to see that Taylor has made the most appearances in the tournament, playing at the Winter Gardens on 24 occasions.

James Wade, the 2007 champion, is second on the list having played at 18 World Matchplay events.

Three other players have featured on 17 occasions in Blackpool – Adrian Lewis, Ronnie Baxter and three-time runner up Priestley.

Record World Matchplay Appearances:

24 – Phil Taylor
18 – James Wade
17 – Adrian Lewis, Ronnie Baxter, Dennis Priestley
15 – Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Colin Lloyd, John Part

Longest World Matchplay Darts unbeaten run

Phil Taylor - 38 matches (2008-2015)

Once again it’s Taylor that leads the way in this list, with 38 victories in a row.

The Burslem darts star only lost eight matches in the history of the event – all of them against different opponents.

Biggest World Matchplay Darts final victories

Phil Taylor holds the record for the biggest margin of victory in the final of the World Matchplay tournament.

The 14-time world champion beat Terry Jenkins 18-4 in the 2009 final, with the next best result coming in 2023. Nathan Aspinall collected his first Blackpool title with a comprehensive 18-6 success over Jonny Clayton.

Most nine-dart finishes at the World Matchplay Darts

There have been eight nine-dart finishes in the 29-year history of the tournament, with Taylor the only player to have achieved it on two occasions.

The Power’s first nine-darter came back in 2014 in his second-round clash with Michael Smith, with his second recorded against Chris Mason in the quarter-finals in 2002.

The other six players to win a nine-dart leg are Raymond van Barneveld, John Part, Michael van Gerwen, Wes Newton, Gary Anderson and Gerwyn Price.

Match:	Method:	Year:
Phil Taylor v Chris Mason	3 x T20, 3 x T20, T20, T19, D12	2002
Raymond van Barneveld v Denis Ovens	3 x T20, 3 x T20, T20, T19, D12	2010
John Part v Mark Webster	3 x T20, 3 x T20, T20, T19, D12	2011
Michael van Gerwen v Steve Beaton	3 x T20, 3 x T20, T20, T19, D12	2012
Wes Newton v Justin Pipe	3 x T20, 2 x T20, T19, 2xT20, D12	2012
Phil Taylor v Michael Smith	3 x T20, 2 x T20, T19, 2xT20, D12	2014
Gary Anderson v Joe Cullen	3 x T20, 3 x T20, T20, T19, D12	2018
Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert	3 x T20, 3 x T20, T19, T20, D12	2022

Highest World Matchplay Darts averages

114.99 - Phil Taylor (2010)

An average of 100 in a World Matchplay fixture has been achieved on no fewer than 142 occasions.

Taylor has recorded 62 of the 142 100+ averages, including the top four in the stats.

The highest average is 114.99 which he recorded in the last 32 of the 2010 tournament, when he beat Welshman Barrie Bates 10-6.

Taylor also has the highest average in a final, when recording 111.23 in his 2013 victory over Adrian Lewis.

Highest World Matchplay Darts tournament averages

106.31 - Phil Taylor (2010)

In a tournament dominated by Taylor over the years, he also leads the way in the list of of the five highest tournament averages.

Taylor takes up all five places, with his highest World Matchplay average of 106.31, coming in 2010 – the year he beat Van Barneveld 18-12 in the final.